New York City experienced a rare phenomenon on Tuesday, July 20, when a thick layer of smoke from wildfires in Canada covered the sky, creating an eerie orange haze and reducing the visibility. The smoke also caused unhealthy air quality levels, prompting health officials to advise people to stay indoors or wear masks.
The smoke was carried by the jet stream, a high-altitude wind that flows from west to east across North America. The jet stream can transport pollutants over long distances, sometimes affecting areas thousands of miles away from the source. The jet stream is also influenced by climate change, which can make it more erratic and wavy, leading to more extreme weather events.
The wildfires in Canada are part of a larger pattern of increasing fire activity in the northern hemisphere, driven by rising temperatures, droughts and human activities. According to the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service, a European Union agency, the wildfires emitted more carbon dioxide in June than any other month since 2003, when the agency started tracking emissions. The fires also released large amounts of particulate matter, which can cause respiratory and cardiovascular problems.
The smoke event in New York was a stark reminder of the interconnectedness of the global climate system and the urgency of reducing greenhouse gas emissions. As climate scientist Katharine Hayhoe tweeted, “What happens in the Arctic doesn’t stay in the Arctic.”
